Oxychlorination of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons in the presence of a fluidized catalyst containing lanthanum and didymium

ABSTRACT

CATALYST COMPOSITION COMPRISING MIXTURES OF SALTS OF COPPER, POTASSIUM, DIDYMIUM, LANTHANIUM AND MAGNESIUM ARE USEFUL IN THE FLUIDIZED BED OXYCHLORINATION OF ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS. THE CATALYST COMPOSITION LOADING IS DIS POSED ON A SUITABLE SUPPORT MEDIA, PREFERABLY AN ALUMINA AND DOES NOT CAKE OR CAUSE-DEFLUIDIZATION OF THE BED UNDER START-UP, OPERATING, OR SHUT-DOWN CONDITIONS.

United States Patent Ofice 3,657,367 Patented Apr. 18, 1972 OXYCHLORINATION F SATURATED AND UN- SATURATED HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRES- ENCE OF A FLUIDIZED CATALYST CONTAIN- ING LANTHANUM AND DIDYMIUM Robert J. Blake, Oakland, and Guy W. Roy, Richmond, Calif., assignors to Stautfer Chemical Company, New York, N.Y. No Drawing. Filed Oct. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 772,395

Int. Cl. C07c 17/00, 17/02 US. Cl. 260-659 A 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Catalyst compositions comprising mixtures of salts of copper, potassium, didymium, lanthanum and magnesium are useful in the fluidized bed oxychlorination of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The catalyst composition loading is disposed on a suitable support media, preferably an alumina and does. not cake or cause defluidization of the bed under start-up, operating, or shut-down conditions.

This invention relates to the oxychlorination of hydrocarbons. More particularly, the invention pertains to improved catalyst compositions and the utilization of said catalysts in aliphatic hydrocarbon oxychlorination processes.

The oxychlorination of hydrocarbon gases with a chlorinating agent and an oxygen containing gas is a wellknown process in the prior art. It is customary to employ suitable catalysts which will accelerate the oxychlorination reaction. The catalysts usually employed comprise the salts particularly the halides of metals having variable valences. These salts have been used as such in combination with various promoting substances and in combination with or disposed upon mineral substances such as asbestos, diatornaceous earth, pumice', clay, kieselguhr, alumina, silica gel and the like. A particularly effective catalyst comprises a copper halide disposed upon an alumina support. The oxychlorination process has been carried out by passing a mixture of hydrogen chloride, chlorine, or a mixture of hydrogen chloride and chlorine, an oxygen containing gas, and the hydrocarbon through a reaction zone containing a fixed bed of the catalyst. More recently, however, the catalyst has come to be employed in a finely divided state according to the so-called fluidized catalyst technique. One of the disadvantages of the copper halide catalysts is that they are volatile at the required reaction temperatures. Thus, the catalyst mass is unable to retain its activity over an extended period of time due to loss of the copper halide which must be continually replaced or recovered and returned to the reaction zone. The problem of catalyst losses is aggravated when the catalyst is employed in the fluidized state. As a result of having the catalyst in the form of particles, the loss of the copper halide is even more pronounced and catalyst life is even shorter. The use of an alkali metal, chloride as a catalyst stabilizer reducing mobility of the copper salt component is to be recognized as well as its use as an oxidation inhibitor advantageous in reducing the catalyst loss according to US. Pat. 3,267,161. In addition to volatilization of the catalyst salts, a main catalyst disadvantage in fluidized beds is the catalysts tendency to cake during its active life.

The term oxychlorination utilized herein the specification refers to metal halide catalyzed processes in which gaseous hydrogen chloride, chlorine or a mixture of hydrogen chloride and chlorine is used as a chlorinating agent. These processes involve chlorination of hydrocarbons or chlorohydrocarbons with a chlorinating agent and an oxygen containing gas such as air or elemental oxygen. The process takes place most efliciently in the presence of a metal halide catalyst such as cupric chloride impregnated on a suitable carrier. It has been postulated that in these oxychlorination processes, the hydrogen chloride is oxidized to chlorine and water and the chlorine reacts with the organic material present in the feed gas to form chlorinated hydrocarbons.

The term fluidized bed as employed herein this specification refers to processes in which a gas is passed through a catalyst bed of solid particulate material wherein several diiferent conditions may be established depending upon the gas velocity, size of the catalyst particles, reactor size, and other reaction zone parameters. The state or normal fluidization exists when the gas flow rate is increased beyond the flow at which the upward thrust of the gas balances the weight of the particles. At this gas flow rate the bed height expands and the particles are set in violent, chaotic motion.

A major problem in fluid bed operations of oxychlorination processes has been the caking tendency of the available catalysts. This caking or agglomeration of the catalyst results in defluidization of the bed, as well as extremely high localized temperatures in the catalyst bed which makes it diflicult to control the reaction and the products formed. A fluidized bed catalyst which is noncaking under operating, start-up or shut-down conditions is essential to an economically operative oxychlorination process.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a non-caking catalyst for use in a fluidized bed oxychlorination process.

Another object is to provide an effective catalyst composition and method for the oxychlorination of hydrocarbons and the chlorinated derivatives thereof.

Yet another object is to provide an effective catalyst composition and method for the oxychlorination of methane in a fluidized bed.

Still another object is to provide an effective catalyst composition which will not cake during its active life when used in a fluid bed operation for the oxychlorination of hydrocarbons and the chloro derivatives thereof.

Further objects of this invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art from the detailed description which is contained herein below.

The objects of the invention are general accomplished by providing a gaseous mixture comprising a hydrocarbon or partially chlorinated hydrocarbon, an oxygen containing gas, and a chlorinating agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen chloride, chlorine and mixtures of hydrogen chloride and chlorine, as feed material to a suitable oxychlorination reaction zone. The hydrocarbons or partially chlorinated hydrocarbons are aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated, hydrocarbons containing from one to four carbon atoms and the chlorinated derivatives thereof such as methane, ethane, butane, ethylene, methyl chloride and ethylene dichloride. The reaction zone is maintained at a temperature sufiicient to effect the oxychlorination of the hydrocarbon or chlorinated hydrocarbon to the desired chlorinated hydrocarbon products. The feed m'nrture is contacted with a fluidized bed of catalyst suitable to effect the desired reaction in the contact time provided. The catalyst comprises a mixture of a catalytically eifective percentage of CuCl an alkali metal chloride selected from the group consisting of KCl and NaCl present in an amount suificient to prevent substantial oxidation, didymium chloride and lanthanum chloride. It has been discovered that such catalyst mixtures containing both didymium and lanthanum chlorides remain fluid and do not tend to cake during the active life of the catalyst. Didymium chloride (DiCl is a commercial mixture of rare earth chlorides containing a substantial percentage of lanthanum in the mixture (refer to Table I).

TABLE I.RARE EAR'gH COMPE(:) SITION OF DIDYMIUM HLO RID Rare earth composition, percent 100% oxide As-is Rare earth basis basis Lanthanum:

0. 1.0 Praseodymium:

AS Pinon 9-10 4.4 As PrCh.6H2O 9. 4 Neodymium:

As Nd203 32-33 14. 6 As NdChfiHzO 30. 3 Samarium:

As SmzOa 5-6 2. 5 AS SInCla.6H20. 5. 2 Gadolinium (approx As G O: 3-4 1. 5 As GdCl3.6II2O 3.1 Yttrium (approx.):

As YZOZ 0.4 0. 2 As YC13.6H20 0. 5 Other rare earths (approx.):

As R20: 1-2 0. 6 1. 2 45 95. 9 37. 9

Analysis provided by American Potash & Chemical Corp.

A preferred catalyst composition consists of from about 0.5% to about 15% CuCl from about 0.1% to about 10% of an alkali metal chloride selected from the group consisting of KCl and NaCl; from about 0.1% to about 12% didymium chloride (DiCl and from about 0.2% to about 6% LaCl These percents are based on the total weight of catalyst composition plus support media. For any one catalyst composition, the total weight percent of the support media should be in the range of from about 75% to about 95%. The maximum total catalyst loading is about 25 weight percent and the minimum total catalyst loading is about 5 weight percent. The catalyst loadferred to use about 0.2% to about 1.0% MgCl on a silica-alumina support having a surface area of about 1.5 to about 4 m. /gm.

The catalyst support media is of considerable importance in the oxychlorination reaction. The surface areas of the support media have a direct effect on the promotion of side reactions which result in the oxidation of the hydrocarbons and their chloro derivatives. It has been determined that an increase in the surface area of the support media over 90 mF/gm. increases these side reactions. The preferred range of surface area for the support media is about 1 to about mF/gm.

Support media such as silica gel, pumice, fullers earth, alumina, silica-alumina and diatomaceous earth are to be preferred. The most preferred support is alpha-alumina and silica-alumina having a surface area of from about 1 to about 30 m. /gm. and a porosity range of from about 0.2 to about 0.45 cc./gm.

The particle size of the alpha-alumina and silicaalumina is in the range of from about 20 to about 200 microns. The preferred particle size range is from about 40 to about 150 microns.

Tables II and 111 show the related properties of typical catalyst support media.

a-Alumina (10-20) a-Alumina Surface area. (mi/gm.)

Apparent bulk density (g./cc.) Tyler mesh sieve analysis (wt. percent retained in designated range):

+80 mesh 80+100 mesh.

200+250 mesh 250+325 mesh 325 mesh Surface area (mi/gm.)

(measured) TABLE IIL-ALUMINA SUPPORTS Apparent bulk Surface Support composition (weight percent) density area Porosity Alumina type (gm/cc.) (mfl/gm.) (cc/gm.) A1203 SiOz F020; NazO a-Alumina (2-4 mJ/grn.) 1.10 3. 9 0. 44 99. 4 0.02 0. 04 0.5 Silica alumina (1.54 nil/gm).-." 0. 94 2. 4 0. 34 95. 4 3. 3 0.02 0.77 a-Alumina (10-20 mJ/gm.) 1. 1 16. 8 0.30 99. 0 0.02 0.03 0. 45

ing which is employed in a given case depends upon factors which include, e.g., temperature and reactant composition. The most preferred catalyst composition consists of from about 0.8% to about 10% CuCl from about 0.5% to about 5% KCl, from about 2% to about 9% DiCl and from about 1% to about 3% LaCl This catalyst composition is generally disposed on any suitable porous support material although preferred supports are hereinafter described. It has been discovered in the practice of the present invention that catalysts containing mixtures of salts of Cu, K, didymium and lanthanum disposed upon alpha-alumina as well as silica-alumina supports remain fluid, i.e., do not cake or agglomerate, under conditions of methane oxychlorination which are more fully hereinafter described.

It has also been discovered that catalysts containing certain support media employed in conjunction with the novel catalyst salt mixtures of the present invention remain fluid during operating conditions and yet cake during shut-down or subsequent start-up. Such catalysts can, by the addition of magnesium chloride to the salt composition, be inhibited from caking. The caking of these fluid bed catalysts is inhibited by the addition of from about 0.1% to about 2% (Weight) MgCl and it is pre- In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, gaseous methane is reacted with gaseous hydrogen chloride, chlorine or hydrogen chloride and chlorine and an oxygen containing gas in a reaction zone which is maintained at a temperature of between about 300 and about 600 C.; a preferred temperature range is between about 350 and about 450 C.

The uniformity of reaction temperature through the reaction zone is promoted by operating the catalyst in a fluid bed. This type of operation avoids the existence of hot spots in the catalyst bed which would increase the oxidation of hydrocarbon side reactions.

The contact time of the reactants in the reaction zone is an important parameter. The preferred residence time for the oxychlorination of methane is about 1 to about 20 seconds with the most preferred retention time being between about 2 and about 10 seconds.

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference is now had to specific examples which have been carried out in accordance with the techniques of the present invention.

EXAMPLE I The catalytic system is prepared by mixing 125.1 gms. CuCl .2 H30, gms. gms. LaCl .6 H20, and 232.3 gms. DiCl .6 H 0 plus 476 gms. water, thereby effecting a 40 weight percent solution of salts. The mixing was done at ambient conditions in a vessel of a size sufiicient to contain the components therein.

The DiC1 .6 H O analysis is shown in Table I.

The solution is then slowly poured onto 1504 gms. of silica-alumina, having a surface area of 1.5-4 m. gm. and, a porosity of from about 0.2 to about 0.45 cc./gm. and a particle size of from about 40 to about 150 microns, with mechanical mixing. The moist catalyst is then dried for twenty hours at 140 C.

The dried catalyst is then placed in a Pyrex reactor which consists of a vertical 20 inch Pyrex tubular lower portion with an internal diameter of 47 millimeters. The catalyst is supported in the tube by an extra coarse sintered disc which is placed within the tube at the lower end thereof and contained therein. The bottom of the tube is sealed except for an opening to allow the reaction gases to enter the tube below the sintered disc. The height of the static bed of the catalyst in the tubular section is inches. Attached to the upper end of the tubular portion of the reactor is a tapered section, having its broader portion at the upper part thereof, to affect the separation of catalyst fines from the reaction gases. The top portion of the tapered section is afiixed with an opening to allow the gaseous eflluent to leave the reactor and to allow the insertion of a 10 millimeter outside diameter tube into the catalyst bed extending towards the bottom thereof. The tube has attached thereto, at the lower end thereof, a four-arm spider. The tube and four-arm spider are rotatably mounted. The reactor is electrically heated and it is controlled automatically by means of a thermocouple and a temperature controller.

The catalyst bed is fluidized by 2.81 gram moles per hour of HCl, 2.81 gram moles per hour of CH; and 9.95 gram moles per hour of air. The combined flows result in a superficial velocity of 0.5 feet per second at an operating temperature of 440 C. and a pressure of 1 atmosphere.

The gaseous effiuent exiting from the top of the reactor is analysed by gas chromatograph and wet chemical methods. These analyses show that the results of the oxychloridation reaction is an 86% conversion of HCl, a 39% conversion of CH to chlorinated methanes and a 2.6% oxidation of CH 6 EXAMPLE II In a reactor similar to that of Example I, the catalyst bed is fluidized by the additional flow of CH Cl to produce chlorinated methanes.

EXAMPLE III Using a reactor system similar to that of Example I, the bed is fluidized by a flow of gaseous ethylene dichloride, HCl and oxygen to produce perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and saturated chlorination products of a higher molecular weight than trichloroethylene.

EXAMPLE IV The catalyst bed in a reactor system similar to that of Example I is fluidized by a flow of gaseous ethane, HCl and oxygen to produce chlorinated ethanes.

EXAMPLE V The non-caking effect gained by addition of LaCl to the catalyst salt loading containing CuC1 KCl, DiCl is shown in the following Table IV. The catalysts are prepared in accordance to the method of Example I. The catalysts are tested for periods ranging up to 1780 hours in the reactor system set forth in Example I.

TABLE FV. WEIGHT PERCENT OF METAL PRESENT (BASED ON SALT COMPOSITION PLUS SUPPORT) N0n-caking Oaked at Comparisons of catalyst supports and catalyst salt loading compositions are made to evaluate the activity and fluidizing characteristics that would result. The experimental data is compiled in Tables V, VI and VII. The tables show the salt loading on a particular support with the percent HCl conversion to chlorinated methanes, the percent methane loss through oxidation and the tendency of the catalyst to cake under operating or shut-down conditions. The effect of L-aCl and MgCl addition can be clearly seen. The catalysts are prepared in accordance with the method of Example I and the bed heights were measured under static conditions.

TABLE V.-LaCl3 ADDITION EFFECT Activity at 440 0., 10 in. catalyst bed (percent) Salt compositlon (weight percent) H01 0114 Fluid bed catalyst characteristics Support (surface area) CuCh K01 D1013 LaCla MgCl conversion oxidized (reaction temperature 440 0.)

a-Alumina (24 mfl/gm.) 5. 3 2. 94 3. 2 Non-cakin at 0 erati conditions.

D 5. 3 1. 47 3. 9 Do. g p Hg 4. 24 1.91 Caked at operating conditions.

TABLE VI.MgClg ADDITION EFFECT Activity at 440 0., 10 in. catalyst bed (percent) Salt composition (weight percent) H01 0H4 Fluid bed catalyst characteristics Support (surface area) C1101: K01 D1013 LaCla MgClz conversion oxidized (reaction temperature 440 C.)

a-Alumma (2-4 mJ/gm 5. 3 2. 94 8. 73 2. 3 89 3. 2 Cakes on N2 shut-down.

o 5. 3 2. 94 8. 73 2. 3 1. 96 89 4. 0 No caking on N; shut-down. Sihca-alnmina (1.5-4 111 [gm 5. 3 2. 94 8. 73 2. 3 87 2. 6 Cakes on N; shut-down.

Do 2. 65 1. 45 4.37 1. 16 0.39 2. 4 N o caking on N; shut-down.

Activity at 440 C., 10 in. catalyst bed (percent) Salt composition (weight percent) CH4 Fluid bed catalyst characteristics Support (surface area) CuClz K01 DiCla LaCl; MgClz conversion oxidized (reaction temperature 440 C.)

a-Alurnina (2-4 m. /gm.).- 5.3 2. 94 8. 73 89 3. 2 No caking at operating conditions.

5.3 2. 94 8. 73 89 3. 2 Cakes on N2 shut-down. a-Alumina (-20 mJ/gm.) 5. 3 2. 94 8.73 87 3. 5 No caking at operating conditions.

Do 5. 3 2. 04 8. 73 87 3. 5 No caking on N: shut-down.

EXAMPLE VII Using a reactor similar to that of Example I, wherein the tubular lower portion is 32 inches in length with a catalyst bed height of 18 inches measured under static con- 600 C. for from about 1 second to about 20 seconds in the presence of a fluidized catalyst impregnated in a porous support material, the support material having a surface area between about one square meter per gram and ditiofls, the following catall/Sis are tested- A cuclz, Kcl, about 30 square meters per gram, and a porosity of from DiCl and c g alt composition is P p as about 0.2 cubic centimeter per gram to about 0.4 cubic scribed in Example I and is absorbed on an alpha-alumina ti t per gram, h t l comprising a mixture of support. A salt composition of CuCl KCl, DiCl LaCl from about 0.5 weight percent to about 15 weight perand MgCl is prepared by a method similar to that de- 20 cent CuCl from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 scribed in Example I and is absorbed on a silica-alumina weight percent of a member selected from the group consupport. A third catalyst is prepared by physically mixsisting of KCl and NaCl, from about 0.1 weight percent ing equal parts of the first two catalysts prepared. The to about 12 weight percent DiCl and from about 0.2 results of the tests are shown in Table VIII. weight percent to about 6 weight percent LaCl TABLE VIII Activity at 440 C., 18 in. catalyst bed (percent) Salt composition (weight percent) HCl CH4 Fluid bed catalyst characteristics Support (surface area) CllCl: 1101 D101; LaCl; MgCh conversion oxidized (reaction temperature 440 C.)

a-Alumina (10-20 mJ/gm.) 5. 3 2. 94 8. 73 2. 3 95. 0 G. 6 Good fiuidization at all temperatures. Silica-alumina (1.5-4 nil/gm.) 2.65 1. 47 4.37 1.16 0. 96. 0 3. 6 slugging on cool-down. 50/50 mixture of above two 3. 98 2. 2 6. 55 1. 73 0. 2 96. 0 5.1 Good fluidization at all tempera- The catalyst which is a combination of the CuCl KCl, DiCl LaCl on an alpha-alumina support and the CuCl KCI, DiCl LaCl, MgCl on a silica-alumina support does not separate into a zone of the alpha-alumina supported catalyst and a zone of the lighter silica alumina supported catalyst when it is fluidized. This combined catalyst has the advantage of high HCl to RC1 conversion, R being a hydrocarbon of one of four carbon atoms; good fluidization over a temperature range of 30 C. to 450 C. and relatively low oxidation.

Having thus described the invention with reference to specific examples thereof, it is to be understood that other modifications, alterations and applications will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention and that the present invention is limited only as defined in the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A method for the oxychlorination of saturated and unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having from one to four carbon atoms and the chlorinated derivatives thereof comprising contacting said aliphatic hydrocarbon, an oxygen containing gas, and a chlorinating agent selected from the group consisting of HCl, C1 and mixtures thereof, at a temperature between about 300 C. and about tures; minimal slugging on cooldown.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst bed is maintained as a fluidized bed and the support is a-alumina.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said aliphatic hydrocarbon comprises methane.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said catalyst also comprises between about 0.1 weight percent and about 2 weight percent MgCl References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,210,431 10/1965 Engel 260659 A 3,267,161 8/1966 Ukaji et al 260-654 A 3,427,359 2/1969 Rectenwald et al. 260659 A FOREIGN PATENTS 958,458 5/1964 Great Britaain 260659 A 971,996 10/1964 Great Britain 260659 A 1,047,572 11/1966 Great Britain 260--659 A 1,054,750 1/1967 Great Britain 260-659 A HOWARD T. MARS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

